Welcome everyone to the latest game preview for the LSU Tigers! This week, we break down LSU’s matchup against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Citrus Bowl.
Last Game: The last time these two teams took the field was all the way back on November 25th. LSU dominated offensively in the second half en route to a 45-21 victory over Texas A&M. Notre Dame wasn’t so lucky when they took on Stanford and fell to the Cardinals 38-20.
Last Meeting: The last time these two faced off was in the Music City Bowl back in 2014 with Notre Dame coming away with a 31-28 victory. Notre Dame holds the overall series lead 6-5 and has won three of the last five matchups dating back to 1997.
Storylines to Watch:
Lack of Depth at Front Seven: One of the biggest issues heading into this game is the front seven taking some hits at depth with players like Arden Key being out for the Citrus Bowl. The weak spot for the Irish has been their offensive line, especially against Stanford where Brandon Wimbush was sacked six times and picked off twice.
While the depth at the linebacker position is less than ideal, they still have players like Devin White and Greg Gilmore in the front seven that will undoubtedly pick up the slack and bring the pressure
Wimbush Without Top Target: The Irish have had a solid receiving core all season long, but they might be without their top target in Kevin Stepherson. Stepherson leads the program with touchdown receptions and will be a big hit for the Irish if he is still suspended from team activities after recent run-ins with the law.
It seems unlikely that he’ll play, but that’s one less target for LSU’s defense to worry about, especially when it comes to his explosiveness. However, they’ll still need to keep an eye on Equanimeous St. Brown, who had five receptions for 111 yards against Stanford. He hasn’t been a major target for much of the season, but he can be a solid option for Wimbush.
Keeping it Clean: One of the biggest issues for LSU, especially in the early part of the season, was the amount of dirty laundry on the field. They’ve improved on that aspect, but they’ll need to keep the penalties down to a minimum as the gap between these at that statistic is pretty slim with an average of 5.9 penalties per game for the Irish.
If the Tigers can hover around five or six penalties, it should be a little easier for the Tigers to get a win.
LSU Will Win If:
LSU can come away with a win if their offense can duplicate their performance against Texas A&M. The Fighting Irish are pretty stingy on defense allowing an average of 21.8 points per game.
It’ll require a pretty solid effort from Derrius Guice and Danny Etling to get the job done on New Year’s Day.
Notre Dame Will Win If:
The Irish can start off 2018 on the right foot with a solid defensive effort, especially against the run. If they can hold off Guice and Williams, it should be a big win for the Irish.
-Clint Domingue